For the second portion of the list, see List of words having different meanings in British and American English: M–Z.

Asterisked (*) meanings, though found chiefly in the specified region, also have some currency in the other dialect; other definitions may be recognised by the other as Briticisms or Americanisms respectively. Additional usage notes are provided when useful.

a one in a suit of playing cards
someone who is very good at something. A term in tennis for a point won for the server without the opponent returning his or her serve.fighterpilot who has shot down at least 5 enemy aircraft

(v.) to perform outstandingly *; esp., to achieve an A (on a school exam)
the best starting pitcher in a rotation on a baseball team

usu. rented housing unit in a larger building implying luxury (In other words a narrower definition than the US.) (Overlapping with the rare usage in reference to stately homes or historic properties which have been converted into residential units.)

an agent or representative authorised to act on someone else's behalf ("attorney-in-fact", "power of attorney")
(Attorney General) main legal advisor to the government

(or attorney-at-law) a lawyer (UK: barrister (England, Northern Ireland, Wales)/advocate (Scotland) or solicitor, depending on the actual profession)
(District attorney, prosecuting attorney) local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals (archaic in Br. Eng. for lawyer)

in baseball, one of the three places a runner can stand in safety; hence in many fig. senses, off one's base (crazy), to get to first base (esp. in neg. constr., to get a first important result); more recently (slang), a metaphor for one of three different stages in making out (q.v.) – see baseball metaphors for sex; more s.v. home run

bash

masturbate (vulgar slang) (usu.Bash one out or Have a bash) (but Have a bash more often means the same as Have a go – to try to achieve something, as in "have a bash at this crossword")
an improvised shelter (shortened form of 'basha')

to strike physically
to attack verbally
a party or celebration "they're having a little bash this weekend" (orig. US, but now probably more common in UK than US)

bath

(usu. pl.)swimming pool
(v.) to bathe, or give a bath to, example have a bath (US: take a bath meaning bathe)

room containing a bath (US: bathtub) or shower, other washing facilities, and usu. (but not necessarily) a toilet

room, in a home or hotel room, containing a toilet, related washing facilities, and often, but not necessarily, a shower or bathtub (Hence "Going to the bathroom" is a euphemism for going to the toilet even in a setting where one would not expect to find a bath, e.g. a restaurant or shop *) (a room without shower or bathtub may also be known as a powder room, but this usage may be considered dated)

batty

arse, homosexual (orig. Jamaican word)

crazy, insane (slang)

beaker

drinking vessel without a handle, or one (with or without handles) made of unbreakable plastic for the use of children (US: sippy cup)

flat-bottomed vessel, with a lip, used as a laboratory container.

beater

person who flushes game from concealment so it can be shot at by 'the guns'
something or someone that beats

used car or bicycle in very poor condition (UK: banger)
(slang) wifebeater (q.v.)
a sleeveless undershirt (from the stereotype that poor men who wear them beat their wives, perhaps from Jackie Gleason in "The Honeymooners" TV series (50s/60s U.S.) or more likely from the costume of the character Stanley Kowalski in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire (play)") (UK: vest)

baked sweet or savoury cake-like item, usu. flat, which is hard when baked and softens over time (colloquially bikkies for sweet biscuits) (US: cookie (sweet biscuit), cracker savoury biscuit)
(to take the biscuit) to be very surprising (US: take the cake)

type of quick bread served with savory foods (UK: similar to a savoury scone, or similar in consistency to a croissant)

blinder (n.)

excellent performance in a game or race (slang) "e.g. he played a blinder"

either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides (UK: blinker, also used in US)

to (literally) lift up, especially a person: booster cushion*, a cushion used to increase the height of a seat (esp. in a car)
to steal, especially from a retail establishment (i.e., shoplift)

boot

storage compartment of a car (US: trunk)

footwear covering lower leg
to kick something hard
to start up a computer

(Denver boot, car boot) device used to render cars immobile (UK: wheel clamp)
to expel (UK: give someone the boot *)("I have been given the Order of the Boot", Winston Churchill)
to vomit (slang)
to shoot up (with intravenous drugs) (ex: to boot cocaine or heroin; slang)

a gift in a box, hence Boxing Day
genital protector used in cricket (US similar: cup)
(the box) television set (slang) (US: idiot box, boob tube)
a box stall in a barn
any of various box-like structures, such as:signal box (US: switch/signal/interlocking tower)telephone box (US & UK also: telephone booth), more at call boxwitness box (US: witness stand)
either one of the two marked areas adjacent to the goalmouth on an association football pitch (see here)
see also box junction

any of various areas on a baseball diamond (as for the batter, or the pitcher, the catcher, etc.)
female genitalia (obscene slang) *
(box canyon) a canyon with vertical walls
(boxcar) a type of enclosed railroad freight car (UK: goods van), a three-ball "frame" for one player in candlepin bowling (New England)the genital area kicked in the box

any of various insects *(nontechnical usage)
an important person ("a big bug"); also, someone crazy (as in "firebug", a pyromaniac)
(v.) to annoy (colloquial) *
to go away, depart, also from a responsibility (used with out)
(bug off) to go away (often as a command) (from UK bugger, q.v.)

bugger

to engage in or someone who engages in anal sex
a form of address for either a person or item, either jocular ("he's a generous bugger") or less so ("he's a mean bugger") (slang)
(buggered) 1. broken, not working (typically of mechanical devices, e.g. "the engine's buggered") (slang); 2. syn. for bothered (e.g. "I didn't do it. I couldn't be buggered.") (slang)
(bugger up) to make a mess of something (slang)
(bugger off) (imperative) go away, leave me alone (slang)

term of endearment, often used for children (slang)
(in spoken English, the British "bugger" is sometimes misheard by Americans as "booger")[citation needed]

(have a butcher's) to have a look (rhyming slang: butcher's hook=look)

to kill and cut up an animal for meat
to kill messily, or someone who does so
one who cuts and sells meat

to make a big mess of things; botch ("butcher it up"; "I butchered the spelling")

butchery (n.)

slaughterhouse, abattoir

a cruel massacre
a butcher's trade

a botch

butt (n.)

(n.) the (larger) end of anything, a stub; also, a cigarette
a sudden blow given by the head of an animal
a large wooden cask
a person mocked by a joke
(v.) to strike bluntly (as with the head)
(butt in) to interfere when uncalled for (orig. US)

(colloquial) buttocks (UK usu. bum); hence butthead *
(n.) (butt-in) one who butts in
(v.) to cut off the end (of a log)
(butt out) to stop interfering

men or boys (but increasingly used for people of either sex; in the singular it still almost exclusively refers to a male, "Guys" has become a more popular phrase in the UK) (US & UK: guys)
one's friends ("the chaps") (US & UK: the guys)
cheeks – as in Bath Chaps – stewed pigs' cheeks, a delicacy

leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect the legs against thorns (sometimes pronounced shaps), short for "chaparajos"

check

examine for a particular purpose
a pattern of coloured squares
a warning given in chess

leave items in the care of someone else (e.g. at a cloakroom; hence checkroom)
(also check mark) mark used to denote 'correct' or indicate one's choice (UK: tick, q.v.)
request for payment, especially at a restaurant; bill
written order for a bank to pay money (UK: cheque)

checker

one that checks (e.g. an inspector)

a store or shop cashier (almost always a grocery store)
(checkers) a popular board game (UK: draughts)
to mark with alternating colored squares (UK: chequer)

cheers (interjection)

said to express gratitude in England, or on parting (slang). Also cheerio.

(v.) to spread fish entrails etc. in the hope of luring sharks. "We chummed the water all morning, but never spotted any dorsal fins." Has some cross-over usage metaphorically in non-fishing situations.

The portion of a corn plant around which the kernels grow.
a building material
a type of horse
a male swan

cock

(n.) form of address to a man to gain attention or greet e.g. "Wotcha cock!"
a popular personage e.g. Cock o' the North
(v.) (cock up) *to make a mess of things; cock-up (n.) is the act or the resulting state of affairs

(n.) a male bird; esp., an adult male chicken (US oftenest rooster)
(n.) penis (vulgar slang)
(v.) to set the hammer or firing pin of a loaded firearm ready for firing; likewise, to "cock the shutter" of an old, spring-activated camera
(n.) A type of tap, faucet, or valve (e.g., a stopcock).

collect

To win a bet (from the idea of picking up the winnings)

(v.) to gather together, to pick up; (orig. US) to pick up a person or thing
(n.) short prayer read during the first part of a church service as practised by certain parts of the Christian faith; mainly Anglican and Roman Catholic.

part of the name of some state secondary schools (US approx.: high school) and many independent schools (US approx.: prep school)
educational institution between school and university (e.g. sixth form college, technical college, college of further education)
vocational training institution

constituent part of some larger universities, especially ancient universities

remuneration received by employees
(unemployment compensation) compensation paid to an unemployed person (as a laid-off worker), arising from government resources

concession

reduction in price (discount) for a certain category of person

the action of conceding
in politics, the action of a candidate yielding to another
an area within one country that is administered by another

a lease or grant of premises or land for a particular use, or the so contracted-out service, as in concession stand, i.e. a counter, stand or area at public entertainment venues where snacks or drinks are sold, often at inflated prices
a concession stand

condominium

a political territory (state or border area) in or over which two sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium (in the sense of sovereignty) and exercise their rights jointly

(also condo) a type of joint ownership of real property (as an apartment building) in which portions of the property are commonly owned and other portions are individually owned; an apartment in a condominium

a manger or rack, or stall for cattle
a plagiarism, as of a student ("crib sheet")cribbage

small enclosed bedstead for a child; hence crib death (UK: cot)
(informal) one's house or apartment
a bin for storing maize
a structure of logs to be anchored with stones; used for docks, dams, etc.
(orig. Canada) a small raft of timber

(n.) the floor or level of a ship or other types of vehicles
the roadway of a bridge
a recording device
(v.) to decorate for a festivity ("deck the halls with boughs of holly", "decked out with flags")
to hit a person hard enough such that they fall to the floor (orig. US)

a pack of cards
a wooden, raised platform adjoining a house, usu. enclosed by a railing
a packet of narcotics (slang)
(v.) to pile up (logs) on a deck of logs or a skidway
(on deck) in baseball, the hitter due up next ("Albert is on deck, so they must be careful to not walk this batter."). A general usage connotes availability, e.g. "Who's on deck?" (Who is available to do this?). Occasionally used to indicate who is next in line.

a character and comic strip developed by Ian Chisholm and Davey Law, debuted in March 1951 (US: Dennis)

a character and comic strip developed by Hank Ketcham, debuted in March 1951

depot

a location (large building or piece of land) where buses, trams or trains are stored when not in use and maintained
(pronounced /ˈdɛpoʊ/)

a storehouse or depository; a location for the storage of military or naval supplies
(pronounced /ˈdɛpoʊ/ in BrE, /ˈdiːpoʊ/ in AmE)
A slow-release drug injection (usu. psychiatric)
(pronounced /ˈdɛpoʊ/ in both dialects)

a railroad station or bus terminal or station; also, an air terminal
(pronounced /ˈdiːpoʊ/)

insulting in a persistent fashion, often referring to the dozens
pursuing someone persistently

dollar

5 shilling coin or equivalent amount (obsolete; used in slang until early 1970s, especially in "half-dollar"=half-crown, but some re-stamped Spanish dollar coins were used in the UK in the late 18th/early 19th century)

to become pregnant. (Either as in 'I fell pregnant' or as in 'She fell for a baby.');

descend or tumble
become sick, come down with an illness ("he fell ill") (uncommon in US)
prove attractive ("fall for someone", "fall in love")

autumn

fancy (v.)

(v.) exhibit a fondness or preference for something; exhibit an interest in or willingness to: date/court someone, commit some act, or accept some item of trade

US colloq. equiv. of "to fancy" is "to like" something or someone (or regarding tastes and preferences, "to love"); "fancy" as a verb is now used in the US almost solely by UK ex-pats, but was once oft-used by Southern gentility (landed gentry)

fancy dress

a costume worn to impersonate a well-known character, animal etc., typically at a fancy dress party (US: costume party)

(colloq.) "formal" wear (usu. tuxedos for men and ball gowns for women.)

fanny

vagina (slang), vulva (vulgar slang)
(fanny about or fanny around, vulgar slang) to mess about or procrastinate ("Stop fannying about and hit it with the hammer")

to require that more workers are hired than are needed, often by agreement with trade unions

quilt, or comforter, stuffed with feathers for use on top of the mattress (but underneath a sheet and the sleeping person) (UK: mattress topper)

fender

a fire screen
a cushioning device to protect the side of a boat, ship, or dock

fender (vehicle): the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well (UK: mudguard or wing)
a frame fitted in front of a vehicle (locomotive or automobile) to absorb shock (UK: bumper – see Bumper (automobile))

fifth

ordinal number 5
one of five equal parts into which something is divided

bottle of spirits ("a fifth of bourbon"), traditionally 1/5 of a US gallon, now the metric near-equivalent of 750 mL

ceremonial aircraft flight (UK: flypast)
an elongated left-turn ramp passing over or under the whole highway interchangeFlyover country is a term for (unsophisticated, poor, rural) middle America, as distinct from the 'coasts'.

a paved strip for pedestrian use, especially along the side of a road (US: sidewalk)

a narrow trail suitable only for foot traffic

forty (40)

the number 4 × 10

a 40-acre (160,000 m2) parcel of land, specifically one sixteenth of a section, constituting the smallest unit of agricultural land commonly surveyed ("back 40", "front 40").
an undeveloped plot of land (as on a farm, ranch, etc.) of unspecified size.
in an urban or youth setting, "a 40-ounce beer".

forward

one who plays in a forward position in rugby, i.e. one who takes part in scrums.

a position in basketball, nowadays split into power forwards, who tend to play closer to the basket, and small forwards, who tend to either shoot from the perimeter or drive from the perimeter to the basket.

level or year of a student in elementary, middle, or high school ("in 10th grade") (UK equiv.: year); hence grader, a student in a specified grade ("a 10th grader")
(grade school, the grades) elementary school
see also Grade Point Average

grade (other)

(n.) a rating, degree, or level; (v.) to lay out in grades
[US meaning generated grade separation and the idiom make the grade]

to cook over a gas or coal fire (UK and US: barbecue)
a flat cooking surface
a restaurant (freq. as "bar and grill")

ground floor (of a building)

the floor at ground level (US usu.: first floor)

lower of two floors that are each at a different ground level due to sloping terrain (UK: lower ground floor)

guard

the official in charge of a railway train (US & now UK also: conductor)

to watch over for security
one who guards
a protective device

one of two positions in basketball, usually players who are the best ball-handlers and shooters. Usually smaller than the forwards or center. Most common division is between point guards (playmakers) and shooting guards (more often score-first).

military division used to help the country after a disaster

in (American) football, one of two offensive positions on either side of the center or a defensive position across from the center (nose-guard)

guff

extraneous or useless things, ideas, or paperwork/documentation; also to break wind ("Have you guffed, Dr Watson?")

nonsense, insolent talk, back talk

gum

cement consisting of a sticky substance that is used as an adhesive (US usually: glue)

a type of confectionery composed of chicle used for chewing
the soft tissue around the teeth, or to chew something with no teeth (also, gum at)

main road (as between cities)
(divided or dual highway) a road with two roadways and at least four lanes (UK: dual carriageway)
(highway post office) in the past, a bus transporting mail that was sorted en route

hike

a usu. recreational walk

an increase in amount (as in wages) *
(to take a hike) to go away (also used as a command)

hire

to rent moveable property (e.g. a car) *; rental
(hire purchase) a purchase carried out over time by making regular payments (US: installment plan)

to employ, recruit *

a person who is recruited

hob

the flat top surface of a cooking stove (US: cooktop)
a part of a fireplace
an elf

pawn (n. & v.) ("I can borrow a dime from the barber, an' I got enough junk to hock for a blowout" – Jack London); prison (both from Dutch) *
debt
the end of a smoked ham *
to hock-a-loogie, to spit (esp. mucus as opposed to saliva).

a small, out-of-the-way place, as a restaurant, with a negative connotation. However, often used to preface a compliment, e.g. "just a hole-in-the-wall place you've never heard of, but they serve the best steak in the city."

holiday

see Bank holiday
(often pl.) time taken off from work, school, etc., including the period between school terms (US: break, vacation)
recreational trip away from home (US: vacation)

festival, whether or not generally entailing a public holiday: "Halloween is my favorite holiday"

home

(noun): condition of domesticity, or one's permanent and regular shelter, but not the physical structure or property.

In AmE widely used also to mean the physical structure and property, and references to them, e.g., "home loans", "homeowners", and "tract homes". This usage is overwhelmingly predominant in commercial language and public discourse, e.g. "the home mortgage crisis".

home run

final part of a distance, final effort needed to finish (US: homestretch)

hinged cover over the engine in a car (UK: bonnet)
a contraction of neighborhood, especially regarding a poor neighborhood
short for hoodlum, a tough, destructive young man, or generically any criminal

hoo-ha

argument

female genitalia

hooker

in rugby football, the player position in the centre front of the scrum

prostitute (informal) *

hooter

steam whistle or siren in a factory or other large workplace sounded as a signal for beginning or ceasing work
car horn
nose

(hooters) female breasts (vulgar slang)

hull

(Hull) Kingston-upon-Hull, a large city in the north-east of England*

the outer skin of a ship, tank, aeroplane, etc.

the seed-case of various edible plants (maize, nuts, etc.)
(v.t.) to remove the seed-case from (a nut, etc.)hulled (adj.) (of a nut, etc.) having the seed-case removed (UK: shelled)

hump

a state of depression (dated) ("to be in a hump")
a state of annoyance ("to get the hump")
a traffic calming tool ("a speed hump") *(US & UK: speed bump)
to move a heavy load by human effort a short distance

a rounded mass sticking out from its surroundings
(v., vulgar slang) engage in sexual intercourse, animals breeding or trying to breed
see also Glossary of rail terminology

(v.) to confine (as during a war, or to a hospital)
(adj., archaic) internal

(n.) one (as a graduate or college student) temporarily employed for practical training, e.g. in the science, engineering, or technology fields; esp., in the medical field, a physician (rough UK equivalent: houseman) in their first year of postgraduate training
(v.) to work as an intern

K

Word

British English meanings

Meanings common to British and American English

American English meanings

kebab

commonly a döner kebab (sometimes doner or donner kebab), strips of meat (usu. lamb or chicken) cooked by being heated on a revolving device and served stuffed in a pita bread (In the US, the Greek varieties souvlaki or gyro are better known than the Turkish döner)

(often spelled "kabob" in the US) meat served on a skewer together with onions, tomatoes, etc. (e.g. shish kebab)

a person well-suited for a successful, usu. romantic, relationship. (Don't let him go—he's a keeper)
something of significance ("that's a keeper"). Can be used in many contexts. Often used in sports fishing to refer to a fish not released.

kit

clothing, esp. a sports uniform (e.g. football kit)

any of various sets of equipment or tools
a set of parts to be assembled, e.g. into a scale model

a group of person or objects ("the whole kit and (ca) boodle/billing")

allow, give permission.
leave (as in let him be or let it be)
ease (as in let up on the accelerator)
indicate (as in don't let on)
a first bad serve which is allowed to be retaken, as in tennis, table tennis, and volleyball

(let out) to end (of school, meetings, etc.)

levee

an early afternoon assembly held by the King or Queen, to which only men were admitted (Always levée, with accent)

platform or cage moved vertically in a shaft to transport people and goods to various floors in a building (US: elevator)

ride as a passenger in a vehicle (as in, to give someone a lift)
item placed in shoe to increase the height of the wearer, normally plural (lifts, elevator shoes)

an elevation in mood, "I got a lift just talking with her."

line

(see also track)

a breadthless length

a group of persons, usually waiting for something, arranged in order of arrival (UK: queue)
a lie, short for a line of bull
a phrase used for hitting on women, short for pickup line
to hit a line drive (a hard straight shot) in baseball

liquor

the broth resulting from the prolonged cooking of meat or vegetables. Green liquor is traditionally served with pie and mash in the East End of London

the state of a firearm with bullets or shells in its firing chamber.
bearing a load.
(slang; of a person) rich

drunk or high

lolly

Frozen water-based dessert on a stick (US: popsicle).

(short for lollipop) candy on a stick.

lot

(a lot) a great deal
a number of things (or, informal, people) taken collectively
fate, fortune
a prize in a lottery
(the lot) the whole thing

a measured plot of land; a portion of land set for a particular purpose ("a building lot"), e.g. for parking ("parking lot") or selling ("used car lot") automotive vehicles. But also a "vacant lot"
a film studio

lounge

a room for relaxation and entertainment in a house
(lounge bar) part of a pub

a room for relaxation in a public place

a bar

love (in addressing people)

informal term of address

beloved person, darling (often a term of endearment)

loveseat

a seat which accommodates two people facing in opposite directions. Can be wooden or padded.

Further reading

Note: the below are general references on this topic. Individual entries have not yet been audited against the references below and readers looking for verifiable information should consult the works below unless individual entries in the article's table are properly sourced.

Bickerton, Anthea (1985). American-English, English-American : a two-way glossary of words in daily use on both sides of the Atlantic. ISBN 0 902920 60 X.

Davies, Christopher (2005). Divided by a Common Language: A Guide to British and American English. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618002757.

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